When it opened in 1973, the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH) was Europe's largest congress center. After years of modernization, it was reopened at the end of April 2022. A look back at the history of the house.
by Kristina Festring-Hashem Zadeh, Simone Rastelli
In the 1960s, a comparatively new species conquered the international tourism market:the congressman. He is mostly male, in his prime, open to all kinds of pleasures - and extremely solvent. Business-savvy as they are, the Hamburg city fathers quickly became aware of the promising phenomenon of the conference traveler. And since there is still no internationally relevant conference center in Germany, they decide:The Hanseatic city needs a congress center - or "a factory for the production of tourism", as the then Mayor Herbert Weichmann (SPD) puts it.
Name should avoid associations from the Nazi era
Within a few years, those responsible, with the help of the Neue Heimat construction company, are planning a building for thousands of conference participants, located close to the city center on the edge of the "Planten un Blomen" park and, thanks to the Dammtor train station, well connected to long-distance traffic. The building cost 140 million marks - a gigantic sum at the time, which some critics criticized as disproportionate. In order to avoid associations with the National Socialist past, which the abbreviation "KZ" for congress center would have aroused, Latin is used for the choice of name. Congress Centrum Hamburg, CCH for short, is the name of the conference center in the heart of the city. After three years of construction, it is opened on April 14, 1973 - and from then on is not only the first congress venue in Germany, but even the largest in Europe.
Controversial architecture - "chic" interior design
"Unlike many major construction projects, our house was actually completed in the time allotted, and the costs also stayed on schedule," says Götz Eipper. As the head of the event technology department for many years, he experienced the history of the CCH right from the start. "Of course, the architecture wasn't necessarily to everyone's taste," Eipper said a few years ago about the terraced, gray building, which malicious tongues have also referred to as a "bunker". "But on the inside we were smartly furnished and equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Nobody could fool us."
Modernism from the 70s with phone booths and slide projectors
State-of-the-art in the 1970s meant:telephone booths in the foyer, overhead recorders and slide projectors, as well as interpreting systems and sound recording studios. Those responsible at CCH are particularly proud of their Eidophor system, which can be used to project large-scale television images onto screens. "It was all the rage around the world back then," Eipper recalls. Nevertheless, the CCH initially needs some time to establish itself. Also because the people in Hamburg simply lack professional advertising and management experience. "Sometimes it was pretty chaotic," says Eipper.
Après congress while shopping or on the Reeperbahn
However, thanks to the CCH, the year 1976 can "without exaggeration be described as the most successful congress year for Hamburg", as stated in a report by the economic authorities at the time. 171,000 participants flock to conferences at the CCH that year and then enjoy themselves in Hamburg. The mark rolls when shopping in Pöseldorf, when visiting the State Opera or in the nightlife on the Reeperbahn in the cult district of St. Pauli. A CCH advertising brochure from this period offers these and all sorts of other suggestions for leisure activities at the après congress.
Managers, politicians and Tupperware representatives
The conference machine is buzzing, the number of congress travelers increases continuously in the following years. From managers of large car companies and pharmaceutical companies to trade unionists to Tupperware representatives and lighthouse keepers. "Hardly anyone who hasn't met with us," said Eipper. Prominent politicians such as Willy Brandt, Helmut Kohl and Helmut Schmidt hold party conference speeches here. "Up until the communists, everyone was with us," remembers Eipper, who retired in 1999. Hartmut Hofmann, Eipper's successor as head of event technology until 2017, adds that some of the structural characteristics of the CCH, which are now regarded as a shortcoming, actually appealed to certain conference groups at the time. For example, rooms without windows. "These were particularly popular with military representatives during the Cold War because they were considered bug-proof."
A bathtub for Udo Jürgens
The legendary white bathrobe:it became Udo Jürgens' trademark at the CCH.Art exhibitions, balls and evening events with top-class stars such as ABBA, Deep Purple or Queen bring additional income and glamor. Whether ice revue, appearances by Liza Minnelli or David Copperfield:"It was an incredibly exciting time," says Eipper. "The density of events was unbelievable." And the CCH managers fulfill some unusual extra wishes for many a guest. For example, singer Udo Jürgens, who performs there regularly. "He didn't like using showers and preferred to take a bath after his performance," reports Eipper. So without further ado, they installed a bathtub in wardrobe no. 211, which he uses regularly. From then on, Jürgens - always fresh out of the tub - gave autographs to the fans after his performance at the CCH - in the white bathrobe that was to become his trademark.
Controversial extension opened in 2007
But the original idea of bringing business tourism to Hamburg is in danger. At the beginning of the 2000s, major congress organizers lost interest in the CCH. The congresses are getting bigger, and so are the numbers of participants, explains Hofmann, who, as division manager for production, has been responsible for event technology as well as commercial project management since 2018. Exhibition space is becoming a relevant criterion for congresses, which are increasingly being financed by industry. "It was attractive for the industry to be able to exhibit directly at the conference hall," says Hofmann. "They had to avoid Hamburg because the city couldn't offer such large exhibition areas." So a new hall is needed. However, because of the proximity to the park, the expansion plans initially met with resistance from politicians and society. Only with the CDU as the governing party in Hamburg's parliament from 2004 did the attitude change:"The park was then no longer quite so sacred," says Hofmann. Finally, in 2007, the expansion to include the new Hall H on the south-west side of the site was completed. Around 10,000 square meters more are now available.
How much versatility does a convention center need?
The occupancy figures are increasing again - up to full occupancy in 2012. However, the market continues to change. Business customers are increasingly opting for corporate design - and want to showcase their look and feel as prominently as possible at their events. A claim that, according to Hofmann, cannot be implemented with the interior design of the old CCH rooms. More and more customers are turning their backs on the CCH. "The interior was no longer 'sexy,'" says Hofmann. "The rooms could not be optically adapted to the needs of the customers." As a further shortcoming, the operators recognize that there is only one main entrance area. "If the participants in sensitive events were not to cross paths, two major events could not run at the same time," says Hofmann.
Extensive renovation to make CCH fit for the future
Now history:the bathtub that was specially installed for Jürgens in the CCH's star dressing room.Further comprehensive modernization of the complex is therefore inevitable. And takes shape from 2012 with a project group set up by the economic authority. The DNA of the extension building from 2007 serves as a template:soberly designed, multifunctional. From January 2017, the complex - including its almost complete interior - will be extensively renovated and redesigned. Since then, Udo Jürgens' bathtub has been history. It was thrown out during gutting in the first few weeks of construction work.
Ceiling lighting from the 70s remains
CCH guests can look forward to the listed ceiling lighting in Hall 3, even after the renovation.Only a small part of the interior is to be preserved, such as a spectacular ceiling light from the 1970s, which is listed, and the brick walls of the largest hall with 3,000 seats. In addition, the guests of the CCH can expect a completely new look in the future. Among other things, the congress center will have a different room layout and a new entrance area, which, according to Hofmann, is based on the mechanisms of an airport:plenty of space for initial orientation and a clear division into the individual conference areas. In the future, several large events should be able to take place in parallel.
The new CCH will come later - and will be significantly more expensive
Due to unpleasant surprises during the renovation, the CCH has meanwhile become a permanent construction site."Of course it is a big risk not simply to tear down an existing building, but to preserve it and carefully develop it further," says Hofmann. And that's how the large-scale CCH renovation project - unlike the construction work in the early 1970s - is doing today like so many of its kind:Surprises such as asbestos finds in the rubble, road salt damage in the underground car park and corrosion damage to the facade entail extra work - and make the whole thing significantly more expensive than planned. If 194 million euros were initially estimated for the modernization, it will probably cost 297 million euros - around 100 million more than originally planned. However, the city still does not know exactly how expensive the renovation will ultimately be, as final work is still being carried out and defects eliminated. This "revitalization" is financed by CCH Immobilien GmbH &Co. KG - a 100 percent subsidiary of the city, which in turn guarantees millions in loans.
Reopening of the CCH on April 29
After several construction delays, operations in the congress center with 12,000 seats in around 50 halls and around 2.5 hectares of space for foyers and exhibitions have now started again. The fresh premises were officially reopened on April 29th. The CCH is once again one of the largest and most modern congress centers in Europe.